Catching Booth
by saragillie
Summary: Brennan is distracted at work. Find out what she does about it.
1. Falling Out of Love

**A/N: Thanks to redrider6612 for beta-ing this for me.**

Brennan rushed into Angela's office, hastily glanced about to make sure Angela was the only other occupant, and then closed the door. Brennan's hurried movements caught Angela's attention.

"Sweetie, what's going on?" queried Angela.

Brennan answered in a quiet voice, "I have a problem."

Surprised Angela responded, "But you never have problems. You always say you can take care of yourself."

A pained look came over Brennan's face. "I know. But I just don't know what to do about this," she said.

"So spill. Maybe I can help."

"I came to you because I think you can help. But I don't get the part about spilling. What should I spill and why?" asked Brennan.

Angela sighed. "It means you should tell me your problem."

"Oh," said Brennan. "Well, um… it's about Booth."

After a long pause, Angela asked, "Well, what about him?"

"It's so annoying. It's like I can't stop thinking about him. And then I've been having these dreams. Ange, what's wrong with me? It's like he's tormenting me, even when he's not physically present."

A smile brightened Angela's face. "And this is a problem, why?"

Miserably, Brennan muttered, "Because I think it's starting to interfere with my work."

"But sweetie, this is a good thing. You should be happy about it," exclaimed Angela.

Brennan looked confused. "How is something interfering with my work a good thing?"

"Not that, silly. You're in love. With Booth." Angela broke the news to her gently.

"I fail to see how this is a good thing. This could seriously screw things up." Panicked Brennan asked, "So how do I fall out of love with him?"

"I've never tried to fall out of love with someone," said Angela. She thought hard for a minute trying to frame her explanation in a clear way. "When I've fallen out of love with someone, it was because the relationship became boring or because I found out we weren't compatible or because they couldn't handle what I do for a living."

"But that doesn't help me," Brennan cried desperately.

"I suppose if you stop spending time with someone that would work too. But sweetie, I'm not sure that would work with Booth. If you tried to stop seeing him, he would notice eventually. He's persistent and he would want to know why."

"So what do I do?" asked Brennan.

A smirk crossed Angela's face. "Well, there is something else that might stop you from thinking and dreaming about Booth all the time. If you were in a relationship with him, after a while, you'd stop being distracted by your thoughts and dreams."

"Are you sure that would work?"

Angela nodded. "Yep. It did for me."

Skeptically, Brennan said, "I'm not sure. I need to think about it."

"I'll be here when you make up your mind," Angela said with a smile. As Brennan let herself out of the office, she turned back to the facial reconstruction she was working on. Outwardly, Angela appeared calm, but inwardly she was doing a happy dance.


	2. The Plan: Phase One

Two long days later, Brennan practically dragged Angela out to lunch a half an hour before any of them usually ate. Once they were seated at a restaurant they rarely visited, Brennan said urgently, "I made up my mind. There's no way I can avoid seeing Booth and my distraction has just gotten worse in the past few days. I need your help. I've never deliberately set out to attract a guy."

"You've come to the right person," proclaimed Angela, trying to contain her excitement.

Over lunch Angela helped Brennan lay out a plan. It took a lot of coaxing on Angela's part, but Brennan finally gave in to her superior knowledge.

"I'll see you at 5:30 sharp. Be ready to go," Angela said as the two headed towards their individual offices. Brennan groaned and nodded.

All afternoon Brennan tried to work, but no matter how hard she tried she just couldn't seem to focus. So when 5:30 rolled around, she had been standing outside the door to her office impatiently waiting for Angela for five minutes.

Booth said, "Whoa, you're leaving before six? This is one for the record books!"

Brennan looked down the hallway the other direction and saw him walking toward her.

"Bren, you ready to go?" Angela asked as she walked up.

"Yes. Let's go." Brennan practically dragged Angela toward the exit.

"Bones, wait. I need you to look over these papers." Booth's voice followed her down the hallway.

"They'll have to wait until tomorrow, just put them on my desk," Brennan called over her shoulder.

Booth started after Brennan, puzzled by her odd behavior.

Two hours later, Brennan's feet hurt. "Angela, I need a break. These shoes are killing me. Let's stop and get some coffee."

After receiving their drinks, the two friends sat down. Brennan looked at the mountain of sacks they had acquired. "Are you sure I need all these clothes? I think we might have purchased everything in the mall."

Angela laughed. "Oh no, sweetie, we still have half the mall to cover."

They shopped until the mall closed, but Angela still declared there were a few pieces missing from Brennan's new wardrobe.

Exhausted from hours of shopping, Brennan dropped into bed. 'I'm not looking forward to more shopping tomorrow, but if this is what it takes…' she thought.

It was a week before Angela was satisfied with Brennan's wardrobe and then she insisted on spending hours suggesting outfit combinations, telling Brennan which ones would show off different aspects of her body.

Although it annoyed her in some ways, she found certain aspects of it educational. 'I'll never think about clothes the same way again.'

Angela was set to start the next phase of her plan right away, but Brennan insisted she needed a few days to catch up on all the work she had been neglecting. Angela suspected she was stalling, but let it slide. Things were about to get really interesting.


	3. A New Outfit

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed and to redrider6612 for helping me work out the kinks.**

As Brennan dressed the next morning for work, she decided a break from Angela's plans didn't mean that she couldn't wear one of her new outfits. Remembering Angela's advice, she selected a business suit that hugged her curves and a low-cut tank top to go under the jacket. She put on her usual funky jewelry as she walked to the kitchen for her cup of coffee.

Not long afterward, she was seated at her desk. She looked at it and groaned, thinking about the time it would take to complete everything that had piled up. After prioritizing what needed to be done, she started on the most urgent.

When Angela arrived an hour later, she was still ensconced behind her desk. "Hey, nice outfit," she commented with a sly smile.

Brennan jumped at the unexpected voice and then relaxed.

Angela continued, "I thought you were going to wait a few days before starting the next phase of our plan?"

Before Brennan could defend her decision, Booth's voice came from the doorway, "What plan?"

The two women exchanged glances, and Angela said quickly, "Oh, we're throwing a surprise party for…" she paused trying to figure out whose birthday was next, "um… Cindy in paleontology. It's next week."

Booth studied them for a moment and said, "You can't expect me to believe that! You're both hiding something," he said, suspicious of the innocent looks they wore. "I wish I had time to ferret it out now, but I came down for some papers that Cullen wanted yesterday. Of course he didn't tell me until this morning."

As Brennan jumped on the change of topic and began to question Booth, Angela slipped out quietly. 'I hope he'll forget about finding out what we're up to for a little while. Otherwise, he'll ruin my plan.'

From a seat on her couch, Booth finished describing what he needed. As Brennan leaned across the desk to grab one of the stacks, he had an excellent view of most of her milky white breasts. His breath hitched. 'Wow!' he thought. 'I've always thought she was attractive…'

Triumphantly she said, "Here it is." She opened the folder, perused the contents, and signed the last page. "Booth, why are you staring at me?"

Her voice jerked him back to reality. "I was just noticing how nice you looked today." He sighed quietly, inwardly grateful that his voice was steady.

"Well, Angela insisted that I needed some new clothes," Brennan replied.

"She steered you right with that outfit." Booth searched his mind desperately for another topic before he turned into the alpha male she accused him of being. "We might have a case later today. The coroner's looking at a corpse right now. He's not sure if he'll be able to identify it, so we might need your team's expertise."

Brennan nodded. "Thanks for the warning. I'll try and be as efficient as possible this morning. Since Angela insisted on dragging me shopping I'm further behind than usual."

Booth took her not-so-subtle hint and headed toward the exit.

Not more than five seconds after the sound of Booth's shoes stopped echoing in the hall, Angela careened into Angela's office. "He obviously didn't believe me about that birthday party."

Brennan snickered, "That's because there is no surprise party."

"As of right now, there is. We need it for cover in case he overhears anything. I started working on it while you were talking with Booth."

Brennan interjected, "Don't expect me to help! I'm no good at planning parties."

Angela ignored Brennan's comments. "He didn't by any chance happen to notice your attire, did he?" She wiggled her eyes suggestively.

Brennan tried to brush off her question with a "He told me I looked nice," but Angela persisted until she described everything in minute detail.

When she heard about his distraction, she let out a small squeal. "I knew it. This plan will work."

Eventually Brennan was successful at shooing Angela out of her office and she returned to her work.


	4. At The Scene

Booth turned up in Brennan's office right after lunch. "Bones, we have a case. Get your stuff. Let's go." He had her kit in hand and was motioning toward the exit.

Brennan huffed, "Could you please give me a second to save the file I'm working on?" She hit a few keys on the keyboard, then stood up, grabbed her kit from his hand, and walked out the door. "Let's go already."

Booth shook his head, thinking 'I can't believe how fast she switched annoyance to impatience.' He lengthened his stride to catch up with her.

Like usual, she refused to let him hold the door and tried to convince him to let her drive. However, after that she was unusually silent. He was glad the trip wasn't long.

He parked the car, hurried around the vehicle and opened her door. She smiled, stepped out, and thanked him. She didn't even object when he grabbed her kit and started helping her over the uneven ground toward the crime scene. 'This is really weird,' he thought.

When she greeted the police officer politely after his introduction and asked how the officer was, Booth's mouth dropped open in astonishment.

"Booth, you look like your trying to catch flies. Are you okay?" Brennan asked.

Booth shook off his amazement. "Huh? Yeah. I'm fine. Let's go." With that, he lead her across the grass toward the corpse near the treeline.

Although it wasn't very far, the length of the walk and the warmth of the day made Booth start to perspire. He shrugged out of his suit coat and tossed it over his arm. Not long after Brennan started calling out the sex and age of the victim (female, twelve to sixteen), she too shrugged out of her jacket. His eyes widened. He couldn't ever remember seeing her wearing a more revealing tank top. Not only was it low cut, it showed a bit of her abdomen. 'I'm glad this area isn't very busy. Otherwise all the cops would be checking her out.' This last thought made him uncomfortable, but he didn't have much time to think about why.

"COD appears to be blunt trauma to the back of the head," Brennan informed him. When he didn't reply, she looked up. A small sly smile graced her lips as she noticed him staring at her body. 'It's working!' she thought triumphantly.

"Earth to Booth," she called.

He shook his head and mumbled something incomprehensible. 'Get your eyes back in your head before you embarrass yourself further,' he lectured himself under his breath.

"What was that?" she asked.

"Bones, would you please repeat that?" Booth requested, glad that a coherent sentence emerged from his mouth. When she looked like that, he could hardly think of anything but her.

Brennan patiently repeated herself and watched him jot it down in his notebook. 'At least now I'm not the only one distracted at work. I hope nothing important comes up; we're both so unfocused we'd probably miss something important.'

After the first hour or so, Booth managed to control his distraction. Several hot hours later, Brennan had finished processing and packing the body and released the scene back to the police CSI unit. Again Brennan allowed him to carry her kit as they headed back to the SUV.

Anxious for the air conditioning of the car, she wasn't watching her step very carefully. Booth reached out to steady her when she stumbled. As his arm snaked around her waist and he felt her bare skin, a spark like an electric shock passed between them. A shiver shook her as the feeling raced over her skin.

Completely unprepared for the effect Brennan had on him, Booth jumped a bit and lost his balance. He fell backward and pulled her with him. Her weight on top of him forced the air out his lungs and he was glad that the back of her head hadn't connected with his face.

Brennan's mind raced. 'What would Angela say I should do? Oh, right, take advantage of the situation.' Instead of simply sliding off him and getting up, she rolled until she could look him in the eyes. She noticed that his eyes had darkened a bit and his breathing seemed a bit labored. "You okay, Booth?" she queried.

He nodded. "Just had the breath knocked out of me. If you'll get up, I'll be able to get a nice deep breath," he wheezed.

She sat up, straddling his hips, and felt his body's response. Slowly, she pushed herself up, keeping her eyes locked on his.

As she stood Booth observed the sinuous way her body moved, glimpsing most of her breasts as she bent the rest of the way up. 'If this was any woman besides Bones, I would swear she was flirting, no… more than flirting, with me.' His eyes traveled up her body, pausing momentarily as he appreciated her curves and the small part of her midriff that was visible. His gaze skittered to her lips, 'Luscious,' he thought, before meeting her eyes. He couldn't seem to pull his eyes from hers. 'I've never seen her eyes look like that before. I wonder what it means.' The bark of a dog returned him to sanity. 'What am I thinking?!? This is Bones, my partner.' He finally drew a few deep breaths, glad he had the wind knocked out of him as a reason for still being on the ground.

"Whew. That was some tumble," he said.

The drive back to the lab was just as silent as the ride to the crime scene had been. Instead of "positing scenarios" as usual, Booth kept stealing glances at Brennan, who didn't seem to notice. His mind was sorting through the possible explanations for her strange behavior.


	5. The Accusation

**A/N: Thanks to redrider for editing this story for me. Many thanks also to those who reviewed it: RedRoses18, btvsfifi, 4chi-za, BonesBBLover, Kia Grrl, x.songbird.x, infinites, flyersfan3588, and beaglelvr93. **

Over the next few days, Booth observed Brennan closely. In addition to gaining a greater appreciation for her beauty, he noticed that the differences he had observed at the crime scene continued: she dressed in a more alluring manner; she was sometimes distracted when working; she stopped arguing with him over his being a gentleman; and she continued to be unusually silent. And she had actually listened to him when they went to arrest the girl's killer.

He puzzled about it as he took a bite of sandwich, and finally came to a conclusion. 'This can only mean one thing. She must be in love,' he thought.

After he finished his lunch, he headed to the Jeffersonian. As he walked down the hallway toward Brennan's office, he heard giggling. Leaning against Brennan's doorjamb, he was shocked to discover the source. The two women were sitting on the couch with their heads together and they were talking softly. They looked like two girls sharing secrets. Angela giggled in response to something Brennan said.

He cleared his throat and the two jumped like guilty schoolgirls. "Wanna let me in on the secret?" He waggled an eyebrow at them.

"No!" Angela responded firmly. What surprised Booth was that Brennan blushed.

"Hmmm… how about I guess?" he suggested.

When Angela quickly retorted, "Go for it, FBI," Brennan started to look nervous.

'An interesting reaction,' Booth thought. "Well, something has been up the past two weeks. Bones left early practically every night last week and it seems that the two of you spent most of it shopping. The result of which has been seen this week in Bones' attire, which has been slightly different than usual. She's also been distracted and unusually quiet, and she hasn't argued with me. This evidence, plus what I just saw, leads me to conclude that she has a new boyfriend." He paused. "So why didn't anyone bother to tell me?"

He watched the look that Angela and Brennan shared. Angela laughed quietly, stood up, and exited the office. 'I can't believe he noticed all those things, but missed the main point. At least the first part of my plan has worked. If Bren handles it right, we won't need the rest.'

'I can't believe she deserted me. What do I say now?' Brennan thought in panic.

Booth waited patiently for Brennan's response and was eventually rewarded with a denial.

"Nope. That wasn't right." She got up from the couch and moved toward her desk. "Do we have a case?" she asked hoping to distract him.

It didn't work. "You're not getting off that easily. Come on, tell me."

But Brennan was resolute. "No."

"Aw… give me a hint at least," he wheedled. He waited a moment and then his charm smile appeared at full wattage.

She couldn't help but smile back, and her resolve weakened. "Okay. The evidence you cited was correct, but your conclusion was wrong."

"That's all?" he asked.

"Yep. Unless you want to be one of the giggling girls, that's all you're gonna get from me."

A serious look crossed his face. At Brennan's loud laugh he looked at her questioningly.

"You weren't seriously considering becoming one of the girls, were you?" she taunted.

"Of course not," he defended himself hotly. "I was thinking about the evidence you mentioned."

Booth couldn't believe the turn this conversation had taken. 'This is so embarrassing.'

"So, why are you _really_ here?" Brennan queried.

"What?" Booth started. "Oh. I wanted to see how close you were to finishing your report about that girl. I need to let Cullen know when the paperwork will be on his desk."

Brennan's forehead wrinkled. "You could have just called."

"I had lunch across the street, so it was just as easy to drop in," Booth explained.

"If you have five or ten minutes to wait, I'll do a final review and give it to you now," Brennan offered.

While Brennan pulled up the document on the computer, Booth sat down, indicating his willingness to wait. He replayed the conversation and tried to figure out what other conclusion fit the evidence. 'I can only think of one other way to interpret the evidence – that she's into me. But that's absurd. She's always telling me how annoying I am and arguing with me.'

The sound of paper emerging from printer distracted him from these thoughts, as did the way Brennan's hips swayed when she walked to the printer to retrieve the report. She took it back to her desk and grabbed a pen. She bent down a bit to sign the last page, giving him an excellent view of her well-toned derriere. His mouth went dry and his heart rate increased.

'I have got to get out of here before I do something to embarrass myself more,' Booth thought desperately.

When she turned and offered him the papers, he jerked them out of her hand and beat a hasty retreat, barely pausing to mumble a good-bye.

Brennan watched him leave, confused. 'Maybe Angela can explain his behavior.' So she headed towards Angela's office. Not long afterward, a loud squeal was followed by an 'oh' of comprehension.

When Booth arrived back in his office after leaving the report for Cullen, he seriously considered taking a cold shower or calling Gordon Gordon for an appointment. His reaction was that of any normal red-blooded male, but she _was_ his partner after all.


	6. Some Counsel

**A/N: Great thanks to mendenbar who suggested adding Gordon-Gordon to the story. I hadn't thought of it, but I think it really adds to the story. Thanks for being patient while I worked the idea in. **

Booth stood on Dr. Wyatt's porch. He shifted uncomfortably as he waited for him to answer the door. He was just a bit embarrassed that he needed to see a psychologist and he really didn't like waiting on the doorstep where anyone driving by could see him.

The door finally opened and Booth stepped gratefully inside.

"And how are you today, Agent Booth?" Dr. Wyatt greeted him.

After giving Booth his usual coffee and pouring himself a cup of tea, Dr. Wyatt settled down on a settee opposite Booth.

"It's been two weeks since your last visit, I believe. Why don't you tell me how things have been going, if you don't mind?" Dr. Wyatt asked politely.

Booth began slowly, starting with updates on the latest cases and his most recent visit with Parker.

When he was finished, Dr. Wyatt asked, "Is that all?"

Booth shrugged.

"You didn't mention Dr. Brennan, your partner, at all, even though we discussed your work," observed Dr. Wyatt.

Booth hesitated and then said, "Bones… well, Bones has been acting a bit odd lately. I'm not quite sure what's going on, but…" He left the thought unfinished.

After a moment, Dr. Wyatt responded, "Perhaps if you describe her behavior, we can make some deductions about the cause."

"Well, you know how we argue? Lately she hasn't argued with me about anything. Normally she talks to me when we're driving to and from a crime scene, but for the past week and a half or so, she's been unusually quiet."

Dr. Wyatt nodded, so Booth continued. "Normally she's jumping out of the car as soon as the engine dies and telling me off when I try to hold the door for her, but now she's waiting for me to open it for her. Don't get me wrong, Doc. It's nice that she's not always telling me off for being an alpha male, but it's just not typical for her.

"I didn't actually witness this myself, but apparently she went shopping with Angela _voluntarily_. Usually Angela has to beg and cajole and practically threaten Bones to get her out of the office. And it wasn't just once; they both left earlier than normal several days in a row to go shopping."

Booth smiled a bit. "The results of the shopping trip have been…" he paused momentarily to find an appropriate adjective, "nice, but something is up. When I asked about it, she refused to tell me. Angela was there and challenged me to guess. I explained my observations and concluded that she must have met a new guy. But when I said so, Angela laughed and all Bones would say was that I had the right evidence but the wrong conclusion."

Dr. Wyatt looked extremely thoughtful, and Booth waited quietly for his response.

A moment later Dr. Wyatt said carefully, "I assume you've thought about it since then. You are an excellent detective, Agent Booth. What other potential conclusions fit the evidence?"

Booth shifted in his chair. "I did think of one other one, but it's just not possible."

"Well?" Dr. Wyatt prompted.

Booth looked away and studied the painting on the wall. In a quiet voice he said, "The only other explanation I could think of is that she has feelings for me."

"And why do you think this is not possible?" asked Dr. Wyatt. "After all, Sherlock Holmes, an esteemed investigator not unlike yourself, said 'It is an old maxim of mine that when you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.'"

Taken aback, Booth opened his mouth to reply, but could think of nothing to say so he closed it again.

"Everything you've told me earlier this conclusion. If I were to guess, she had a revelation about two weeks ago. Now that she's aware of her feelings, she's just a bit uncomfortable around you so she doesn't know what to say. She's stopped arguing about the courtesies you extend to her because she knows you think it's important to be a gentleman. Although I wouldn't count on the change lasting," Dr Wyatt concluded thoughtfully.

Booth shook his head in denial, "I… I just can't believe this. She's my partner."

"With whom you spend a significant amount of time," said Dr. Wyatt. "She is a beautiful woman and you are an attractive man. Having met you both, frankly I was surprised that nothing had happened between the two of you yet."

Dr. Wyatt looked at the clock on the wall. "We've talked five minutes past our scheduled hour, Agent Booth. I'll see you in two weeks." He wore a smug smile as he ushered his patient out. He'd wondered how long they would dance around the issue.


	7. Booth Strikes Back

**A/N:** **Thanks to xX Melissa Xx for the suggestion for this chapter, and to my intrepid editor redrider6612.**

Over the weekend Booth mulled over his conversation with Dr. Wyatt. Eventually he decided that what was sauce for the goose was sauce for the gander. 'Two can play this game,' he thought.

So he went shopping and bought, among other things, a couple of new dress shirts, a leather jacket, a present for Parker, and some particularly eye-catching ties and socks. It took a bit of looking, but he even found a tie with skeletons on it.

As he headed toward the mall exit, a small specialty store caught his eye. In the window there was a T-shirt with a skull and crossbones and a sign advertising custom screening. A devious idea struck him, and he entered the store, a wide grin covering his face.

The extra time he spent getting ready on Monday morning paid off. Brennan stared at him for almost a minute before mumbling good morning, and Angela whistled and told him he looked snazzy. In the car on the way to the crime scene of their latest case, Booth noticed she kept sneaking peeks at him from the passenger seat.

Tuesday he wore his skeleton tie, getting a round of laughs from the squints and a fair number of his fellow agents. Once he leaned in to whisper a humorous comment in her ear. The feel of his warm breath on her face made her shiver deliciously. When they interviewed a friend of the deceased person, he sat very close to her without actually touching, close enough that his proximity was extremely distracting but not actually touching.

On Wednesday afternoon, Brennan slipped into Angela's office and closed the door behind her.

"I don't think the plan is working," she said.

Angela tilted her head and looked at Brennan. "Why not?" she asked.

"Well, I'm doing the things you told me, but I'm still having a terrible time concentrating," explained Brennan.

Angela laughed. "I told you it would take a while. You just need to give it more time. Besides, I think it _is_ working. Did you see him yesterday and today? He was dressed more outrageously than normal. I think he's getting the message," she winked.

Confused, Brennan said, "I'm sure there was some logic in that statement somewhere, but it wasn't apparent to me."

When Angela started to explain, Brennan said, "Nevermind. I don't really want to know. I'll just take your word for it."

That evening Booth showed up at Brennan's apartment with her favorite Chinese takeout. He knocked on the door. When she opened the door to admit him, she admired his clean-cut good looks.

After they had eaten, he collected the containers to throw them out while she poured them more iced tea. As he dumped the containers in the trashcan, he allowed one to slip and spill some sauce on his shirt.

"Crap," he said, trying hard to suppress a secret smile. He grabbed a paper towel and started to wipe at it.

She leaned closer to examine it. "It looks like it there were tomatoes in the sauce," she said. She looked up. "Take off your shirt," she ordered.

"Geez, Bones. If you wanted to see me shirtless all you had to do was ask," he flirted.

She rolled her eyes at him. "If we put it in cold water immediately the stain should come right out."

He slowly removed his shirt and she couldn't keep her eyes from his bare chest.

Her mouth went dry and her heart rate accelerated. She blushed, grabbed the shirt from his hand and turned to the sink. 'I knew he was well structured, but wow!' She scrubbed at the stain vigorously, trying to control her thoughts and her physical reaction.

When she was done, she said, "I'll just toss this in the dryer for you." Returning from the laundry room, she found him seated on her couch. He smiled his charm smile and she went weak in the knees. She leaned on a nearby wall to support herself. "It will only take a few minutes," she stuttered, unable to tear her eyes from him. He was nicely muscled. 'So that's what he's like underneath his shirt. I knew he was muscular from the times we've hugged, but…' she was practically drooling.

Booth sat quietly on the couch, smiling at her, not minding her scrutiny one bit. 'Gordon-Gordon must have been right. I've never seen her look at any guy that way before.' His heart felt light. 'She's looked so good lately that it's been hard not to touch her. As a matter of fact, she looks good enough to eat right now. We better work things out soon. This waiting is torture.'

The ding of the dryer distracted both of them. Booth stood up and walked to the laundry room to retrieve his shirt, pausing along the way to whisper in Brennan's ear, "I'll get it."

'How can the man make a simple statement so seductive?' she wondered, dazed.

He returned fully dressed and said regretfully, "It's late. I've got to get going."

Brennan saw him out and then collapsed onto her couch, disappointed that he was gone, but relieved at the same time.


	8. At The Club

By the next Friday, Angela decided that Brennan had stalled long enough. She walked purposefully into Brennan office and said, "We're going out tonight. I know this great club."

Brennan protested, but Angela was determined. By the time Booth strolled into her office, she was desperate. She wasn't having second thoughts exactly, but it seemed like everything was happening too quickly. 'I'm not ready for this yet,' she thought.

Unfortunately for Brennan, Angela spoke first. "Tell Bren she should take a night off and go out with me."

Booth nodded. "A little downtime might be good for you, Bones."

"See, he agrees with me, so you have to come," Angela said quickly. Turning to Booth, she invited, "Would you like to come too? We're all going to be there."

Although he wasn't sure that he'd enjoy hanging out with the squints all evening, he was looking forward to spending time with Brennan. He nodded. 'It'll be amusing to see how they interact with normal people,' he thought. 'And it will give me time to see how things really are between the two of us.'

"Bones, I'll come pick you up at seven," he said.

Brennan nodded unhappily and turned the conversation to the reason for Booth's visit.

­­­­­­­­­­­­

At 5:01 that evening, Angela dragged Brennan out of the office. The two dressed at Brennan's apartment. Angela made her try on three outfits before she was satisfied. By the time Angela was done with Brennan's hair and make-up, she was so excited about the next step in the plan that between the squeals and advice, she had given Brennan a headache.

Five minutes before Booth was to arrive, whirlwind Angela spun out the door and Brennan finally had a few minutes of calm. She swallowed some aspirin and had just sat down when her doorbell rang.

Her mouth dropped open when she saw Booth. 'He's never looked so good.' He was casually dressed in a black T-shirt and jeans, and his clothes fit perfectly. A brown leather jacket swung casually over one shoulder and he exuded confidence and sensuality. Her mouth dropped open when she read what was written on his shirt. The words 'Argh, I love bones and booty' sat above a skull and crossbones.

Booth's greeting died on his lips and his eyes traveled slowly down and back up her figure, stopping at her eyes. She wore a shiny red tank top and black pants that fit like a second skin. Black stilettos completed the outfit. "You look incredible," he said hoarsely. "You ready to go?"

She tucked a small wallet into the pocket of her pants and locked the door behind her. Sparks flew between the two when he placed his hand low on her waist to guide her to his vehicle. The warmth of his hand seemed to keep the coolness of the evening at bay, and Brennan was sorry when they arrived at his car and the contact was lost. As had become normal over the past few days, she allowed him to open the door for her without protest. Unused to the stilettos, she wobbled while climbing into the SUV and was glad for his supporting hand.

During the ride to the club, Booth lectured himself. 'She's your partner, and you don't want to mess up your working relationship. You just have to control your impulses and everything will be fine.'

Meanwhile, Brennan had a strange feeling in her abdominal area. 'Maybe this is what they call butterflies,' she thought. 'I'm so nervous. Maybe it was a good thing Angela made me go tonight. I don't know if I'd ever feel ready.' The butterflies in her stomach increased.

She was surprised to find they had arrived. As she climbed out of the SUV, the stilettos wobbled on the running board and she lost her balance. Booth caught her before she fell over. It felt so wonderful to hold her at last that he didn't want to let go. A moment later his brain kicked in, and he pushed her back and steadied her on her feet. With a boyish smile he said, "You better stay close to me. You seem pretty unsteady on those shoes."

"Angela insisted that they 'made the outfit.' But I never realized they'd be so hard to walk in," Brennan said.

Booth's smile widened. "She's right. You look fabulous. I'll be happy to help keep you upright." 'Just like every other man in the club,' he thought.

"You can trip my direction any time," he flirted, his charm smile at full wattage as he escorted her into the club. 'Wait. I was going to stop flirting with her this evening to see if she noticed the difference. Argh! This is going to be a long night.'

They found the others sitting at a table near the dance floor. Angela spewed out a bit of her drink in disbelief when she saw his shirt.

"Nice shirt, Booth," exclaimed Angela. "How about a drink before dancing?"

At everyone's nod, Angela and Jack went to get a round of beer. While they were enjoying their drinks, Jack and Zach started an argument over something scientific, practically yelling to be heard over the music. Brennan was clearly following the disagreement and would occasionally comment, but Booth couldn't understand a word, so he spent the time watching Brennan. The music was so loud he could hardly hear what they were saying anyway.

Angela suppressed a squeal. 'My plan is definitely working!' she thought, grinning broadly.

Just then an average-looking guy with black hair boldly approached the table and asked Brennan for a dance. She accepted and the two moved to the dance floor.

Booth watched them, glowering. When Brennan stumbled and the black-haired man caught her, Booth's expression darkened.

"You look jealous," Angela observed.

"She's just my partner," he said without much conviction.

Angela laughed. "You can't honestly expect me to buy that. I've seen the way you look at her. Denial ain't just a river in Egypt, G-man," she teased with a sly smile.

As Booth watched, the man slid his hand lower on Brennan's back. She said something to him curtly and his hand moved back up. He tried to pull her close, but she held back stiffly, an annoyed look on her face. She tried to pull away, but he held on.

Just as Brennan was considering using one of her martial arts moves, Booth tried to cut in. She smiled at him in relief. However, Brennan's dance partner was having none of it. "You can't just cut in. We haven't finished our dance," he snarled at Booth.

Booth smiled tightly. "Why don't you ask the lady what she'd prefer?"

Instead of being reasonable, the man growled, "No. She's mine. I saw her first."

Outraged, Brennan cried, "I am not a possession, and I am certainly not yours."

Booth stepped between Brennan and her dance partner. In a quiet voice tinged with anger, he said, "Leave her alone. If I see you near her again, there will be trouble. This is no way to treat a lady."

Booth's menacing manner and words finally penetrated the man's alcohol-fogged brain, and he stumbled away. Booth extended his hand to Brennan, and she joined him for a dance.

"Thanks," she said. "It didn't matter what I said, that oaf just didn't get the message. And all he talked about was football. I think he was drunk."

Booth smiled, "I'm always happy to help a damsel in distress."

"I wasn't in distress. I was considering the best karate move to drop him," Brennan objected.

After a couple of faster songs, the band started a slower one, and Booth pulled Brennan closer. He was surprised and pleased when she laid her head on his shoulder. He tightened his grip a bit. Neither spoke, and both of them were thinking about how right they felt together.

Brennan felt all melty inside. 'I'm not sure how this will help my concentration at work, but it feels so good I'm not sure I care. I think I could dance forever in his arms.'

When the song was over, he kept ahold of her hand and lead her slowly from the dance floor. He leaned down and spoke near her ear to be heard, "I'm thirsty. Can I get you a drink?"

She stretched up to reply, "I'd love another beer."

He left her at the table and went to the bar to get their drinks. With the drinks in hand, he turned back the table to see Brennan's dance partner from earlier approach her. He jostled his way through the crowd as quickly as he could.

"No. I don't want to dance with you again," Brennan told the man. He grabbed her arm and tried to pull her onto the dance floor anyway. Brennan didn't want to cause a scene, so she didn't flip him onto his back like she wanted to. Instead she pulled away and walked to the other side of the table.

Booth set down the drinks and grabbed the man's shoulder roughly. "I told you to leave her alone. She just told you she wasn't interested. I don't like it when a man disrespects a woman, but when he disrespects _my _woman…" Booth glared menacingly at the man. "You're drunk. Did you come with someone?" As he firmly escorted the man in the direction he pointed, the man spluttered an almost incoherent apology about not knowing she was Booth's girlfriend.

When he returned to their table, Angela joked, "If you'll protect me like that, I'll be your girlfriend too."

But Booth ignored her and walked directly to Brennan. "I'm sorry about that, Temperance. I didn't realize he was such a leech. I know you don't like it when I go all 'alpha male' on you, but it was the fastest and easiest way to make him leave." He handed her her drink and sat down next to her, casually draping his arm over the back of her chair. Brennan tried to concentrate on the conversation at the table, but his proximity was making it very difficult.

A few minutes later, they were out on the dance floor again. Although they had danced together before, something about tonight was different. Booth couldn't quite put his finger on it, but it seemed as though something had shifted.

The band started fast a Latin song and Booth lead Brennan in the salsa. The gyrations of her hips made his heart rate increase and his breathing became ragged. He pulled her closer. She looked up at him and their gazes connected and held. His eyes darkened to a deep chocolate, and hers sparkled a brilliant blue. She felt as if his eyes were boring into her, and she lowered her internal walls and allowed her emotions to shine through. The tension between them escalated and their dance took on a completely sensual quality. The two were so absorbed in each other and the dance that they failed to notice that everyone else had stopped dancing to watch them.

When the song ended and the next started, they stopped dancing and stood gazing at each other until someone jostled them. He clasped her hand and led her toward the door.

Angela watched as the two of them left and then turned to Jack. "We can dance now," she said, interrupting his conversation with Zach.


	9. Who Caught Who

**A/N: Thanks to everyone for their wonderful comments. Thanks again to redrider6612 for editing the story for me. I've started a third chapter for Booth Studies Bones and I'm partway through another multi-chapter fic, so keep an eye out for those.**

When Booth let go of Brennan's hand to close her car door, he was surprised to discover he much missed the contact. 'Wow. I never realized how intoxicating just holding her hand would be.' It was a heady feeling, and without it he felt deflated.

The drive back to Brennan's apartment was silent, but they each sneaked glances when they thought the other person wasn't looking. A few times their eyes met and then it was hard to look away. After almost running a red light, Booth tried to keep his eyes on the road. He was intensely aware of her and it was distracting.

When Brennan realized that his attention was on his driving, she stopped glancing at him and studied him outright. He looked so sexy in his casual clothes and she couldn't keep her eyes off him. She was reminded of how he looked without his shirt.

An awkward tension started between them. When he pulled into a parking spot at her building, the tension grew. It continued to build as he escorted Brennan to her door. They were work partners, friends, and something more, but neither knew exactly what.

Just as Booth was wondering if he was allowed to kiss her goodnight, she interrupted his deliberations.

"Would you like to come in and have a beer?" she asked.

He nodded in relief, and she unlocked her door and invited him inside. She gestured toward the couch and headed toward the kitchen.

'Here goes nothing,' she thought as she retrieved their drinks.

After she handed him his beer, she sat on the opposite end of the couch from him.

She took a deep breath and began, "You remember what I said the other day? You know… about having the evidence, but coming to the wrong conclusion?" He nodded, so she continued, "Have you thought about it anymore? Maybe come to another conclusion?"

Surprised, Booth was momentarily speechless. 'Geez, Bones, did you have to just jump right into this conversation? This could be the most important one we'll ever have, and you didn't give me any warning or anything!' He scrambled to order his thoughts.

He said cautiously, "I had thought of another possible interpretation..." She nodded for him to continue. "But until recently I didn't really think it would ever be possible," he finished.

"That has to be the vaguest answer I've ever heard you give." He looked apprehensive, but he relaxed when he saw her grin.

He started to smile back, but suddenly her face was only an inch from his. Her blue eyes locked with his chocolate ones and their gaze held for a moment. Involuntarily, his eyes dropped to her red oh-so-inviting lips. Nervously she ran her tongue over her them, unconsciously seductive. His pulse started racing.

After a long moment, she closed the distance between them and kissed him softly, hesitantly. Booth's breathing hitched as desire screamed along his nerve endings. He looked at her, dazed. When he didn't respond immediately, her eyes dropped and she began to stiffen and pull away.

He reached out and gently grabbed her wrist. "Wait. You kind of took me by surprise." He drew in a ragged breath and then leaned in to see if their second kiss would be as sweet and incredible as the first.

Brennan angled her head to deepen the kiss, but he pulled back. "Don't you think we should talk about this? It changes everything," he said, trying desperately to slow down.

"Believe me, I've already given this a lot of thought. Angela says it's the only way I'll be able to concentrate on my work."

"What?" he asked, thoroughly confused.

"She did say that it would take a while…" Brennan trailed off for a moment, and then continued in a small voice, "She says it's because I'm in love with you."

"You lost me," Booth said. "Maybe if you tell me about your conversation with Angela…?"

"Well, lately I've been having a hard time concentrating on work. I keep thinking about you instead. A couple of weeks ago, I asked Angela about it. She said it was because I'm in love with you, and this is the best way to fix it." Brennan kissed him again.

"So this is what is what's been going on the past few weeks?" he queried, after she broke the kiss.

She nodded, unsure of what to say. Booth smiled his most charming charm smile and Brennan's knees went weak. 'It's a good think I'm sitting,' she thought

"It's been really nice the past few weeks that you've let me be a gentleman. I like holding doors and carrying things for you. I really don't see it as a male-dominance thing, but as more of a way to show you how much I respect you," he explained. "But I'm really not interested in a fling, or just satisfying biological urges. If that's all you want, then you'll have to find another way to deal with your concentration problem," he said firmly, determined to make his feelings clear from the start.

"Angela told me you'd probably say something like that," Brennan responded. "I'm not sure that I know exactly how I feel or what I want, but I do know there's something different about us. Somehow you've managed to get past my walls. You know me better than anyone ever has. I— I trust you, and that doesn't come easily for me. You know what I think about marriage and family, but…" Brennan stopped, once again unsure of herself.

"Are you willing to try and solve any problems we might have, instead of running away if things get tough?" Booth asked.

Brennan carefully considered her answer. "Yes," she solemnly promised. "I can do that. Besides, I doubt I could ever hide from you." She laughed a nervous little laugh.

"I didn't just mean physically," he warned.

"I know," she said quietly, looking him straight in the eye.

Suddenly, she was in his arms and he was kissing her passionately. They both wanted the kiss to last forever, but eventually they had to stop to breathe.

She drew a breath. "I caught you, Seeley," she exulted with a triumphant smile.

"Oh, no… I caught you, Temperance," he replied. "I fell in love with you before your refrigerator blew me up, and I've been patiently showing you in small ways since then, waiting for you to come to me."

Brennan opened her mouth to argue, but he silenced her with another kiss.

When they broke apart, Booth said, "Angela will be so smug tomorrow." A thought hit him. "So what exactly was this plan of hers?"

"She said I needed a plan if I wanted to catch you. So she figured one out and then badgered me until I agreed. And it worked."

When she finished, Booth laughed, but said, "I caught you, Bones."

"I am not a fish, Booth," she argued.

They smiled at each other. Their banter was back. Now that things were settled between them for the moment, neither was in a hurry. They wanted to take time to savor this new dimension of their partnership.


End file.
